AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

Astrology is a complex study. It has ancient origins and is still evolving and developing. It
takes several years of study to become a competent astrologer and the subject is so large
that it would be impossible to understand every aspect of it in a single lifetime.
People are often introduced to astrology by reading star sign columns in newspapers and
magazines. These vary enormously in quality and the comments made in them have to be
very general because they are
only based on one piece of
data - the sign of the zodiac
occupied by the Sun on a
particular day of the year.
Astrology is capable of giving
much deeper insight but to do
this requires a complete set of
birth data - the day, month,
year and time of birth (to
nearest minute) together with
place of birth on Earth
(latitude and longitude). This
information allows a full
horoscope to be calculated.
(See Figure l - the natal chart
of Elvis Presley: 8 January
1935, 04.35 CST, Tupelo, MS)
Horoscopes are also called
natal charts since they usually
refer to the birth (nativity) of a
person but they can be
Figure 1 Elvis Presley
calculated for anything that
has a beginning the formation of a nation, a marriage, starting a business or even the
construction of a building. It provides a way of expressing the energies of the universe at
a specific moment in time, as experienced at one particular location on the Earth.
Figure 2 shows how a natal chart is a representation of the energies filtering through the
solar system to fall on a particular spot on the Earths surface. From this an astrologer is
able to work out the important characteristics of the person or event and then to deduce
how these might change or be influenced in the future. Look at Figure 2 and imagine a
child being born or an event taking place somewhere on Earth. From this location the
Sun, the Moon and the planets would be seen against the background of stars in our region
of the universe. The natal chart is a two dimensional map of this view.
THE EVOLUTION OF ASTROLOGY
From the times of the earliest civilisations on earth there is evidence that people have
always followed the movements of the stars and planets across the sky. These
observations led to the development of both astronomy and astrology. Archaeologists
have located records of the study of astrology in the ruins of ancient civilisations in China,
Greece, Babylon and Rome. The Three Wise Men, described in the Bible as arriving to pay
homage to the new-born Christ, are believed to have been astrologers.

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

Until relatively recent times, astronomy - the study of the actual movements of the
heavenly bodies and astrology - the translation of these movements into events on Earth,
were one and the same study. More recently, astrology and astronomy have gone in
different directions. Astronomers focus on studying observable facts about the solar
system and the universe whilst astrologers continue to investigate the connection between
the movements of the planets in our solar system and people's lives. People have always
acknowledged the connection in some way. In ancient times, astrologers connected the
planets to the gods who were believed to rule every aspect of daily life. Certainly the
myths associated with the ancient gods and goddesses reflect patterns of human
behaviour that are ageless. Modern astrologers do not see the planets as gods; rather
they perceive significant relationships between the positions of the Sun, the Moon, the
planets and how we experience events. We are all a part of the universe. Every atom of
our bodies and the energy that radiates from the Sun and every star are all part of the
same universe. Astrology is just one tool that acknowledges this. The planetary bodies
and our individual experiences are different aspects of one coherent whole. In other
words, everything in the universe is linked together. There have been various attempts to
explain why astrology works, with hypotheses ranging from lines of magnetic flux to
radiation emanating from the Sun (our closest star). Astrology does work and we still
want to know why.

Figure 2 - A SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

THE ZODIACS
When astrology and astronomy had their first beginnings, the actual positions of the stars
were slightly different from where they are now. The ancient astrologers/astronomers
saw the positions of the Sun, the Moon and those planets that are visible to the naked eye
(from Mercury out to Saturn - see Figure 2) against the background patterns of the actual
constellations. During the year, as the Earth orbits the Sun, our view of the universe
changes. The apparent path of the Sun is referred to as the ecliptic and the band of
constellations that falls within this is called the sidereal zodiac. The different
constellations vary quite a bit in size and it is debatable whether there are 12, 13 or 14
constellations that could be considered to lie along the ecliptic.
Around 200 CE, at the spring equinox for the northern hemisphere (when the Sun was
directly overhead at noon on the equator, appearing to move north) the Sun lay at the
beginning of the constellation of Aries. Both then and now, western astrologers take this
moment of time as the beginning of their zodiac - the tropical zodiac. Over thousands of
years, the stars and the solar system have shifted in their relative positions. Western
astrologers still take the northern spring equinox as the beginning of their zodiac but the
actual position of the Sun at this time of the year has drifted backwards so that it now has
the constellation of Pisces as a backdrop in the sidereal zodiac. Throughout this guide, as
in any other astrological text, when the zodiac is mentioned, it implies the tropical
zodiac. It is important to realise that astrologers use a particular time in the Earths orbit
around the Sun, not a constellation, as their reference point.
HOROSCOPES
The diagram or chart that is used by astrologers is called a horoscope (see Figure l) It is a
two-dimensional representation of the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets and certain
other important points as seen from the place where the person was born, at the precise
time of day, on the date and year of his or her birth. However, instead of making an
actual drawing showing the position of the Sun, Moon and planets at the time and place in
question, astrologers use symbols (glyphs) which they place on the chart. See Table l.
TABLE 1 - ASTROLOGICAL SYMBOLS
PLANETS

SIGNS

Sun

Saturn

Aries

Libra

Moon

Uranus

Taurus

Scorpio

Mercury

Neptune

Gemini

Sagittarius

Venus

Pluto

Cancer

Capricorn

Mars

Leo

Aquarius

Jupiter

Virgo

Pisces

plus the asteroid -

Chiron

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

THE TWELVE SUN SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC

The tropical zodiac begins with the position of the Sun at the March equinox (the vernal
equinox) and is then divided into twelve equal zodiacal signs. These are the Sun signs.
For historical reasons the twelve signs of the tropical zodiac have the same names as the
twelve main constellations (star patterns) of the sidereal zodiac, although they now refer to
different sections of the heavens. The actual date on which the Sun passes from one sign to
another varies from year to year. This is what gives rise to confusion when newspapers or
magazines give different dates for the beginning and end of each sign. In order to determine
the correct sign of the zodiac when one is born near the end of one sign and the start of a
new sign (this is called being born on the cusp), the time of birth and world time zone as well
as the day and year are needed. For example, if you were born between April 19 and April
22, you might have an Aries or Taurus sun sign. The correct sign of the zodiac can be
determined using a reference book called an ephemeris. This gives the tropical zodiac
positions for the Sun, Moon and planets based on time and date, all referred back to
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The following is a guide to your Sun Sign:

Aries the Ram

March 21 - April 20

Taurus the Bull

April 21 - May 21

Gemini the Twins

May 22 - June 21

Cancer the Crab

June 22 - July 22

Leo the Lion

July 23 - August 23

Virgo the Virgin

August 24 - September 23

Libra the Balance

September 24 - October 23

Scorpio the Scorpion

October 24 - November 22

Sagittarius the Archer

November 23 - December 21

10

Capricorn the Goat

December 22 - January 20

11

Aquarius the Water-Bearer

January 21 - February 19

12

Pisces the Fish

February 20 - March 20

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

THE PLANETS
The Sun is the only body in the solar system whose position in the zodiac can be deduced from
the date in the year. Because the Sun represents the fundamental life-urge of an individual,
magazine astrology uses birthdates to deduce the Sun sign, and hence the position of the Sun
in the tropical zodiac to give some indication of the overall personality. The positions of
other planets and the Moon vary enormously and would have to be looked up in an ephemeris.
They will be given on your natal chart if you have had it drawn up. The Moon and each of the
planets describe other aspects of your personality. For example, the position of Mercury in
the zodiac and its location in your horoscope focuses on how you communicate, Mars relates
to how you use energy, Saturn indicates how your life is structured and how you may be
limited, and so on. The information in Table 2 summarises some of the keywords which
capture the essence of the concepts which are represented by each planet.

TABLE 2 - PLANETARY KEYWORDS

Sun

ego, identity, purpose, vitality, authority, masculine principle

Moon

emotional self, instinctive responses, receptive, nurturing, feminine principle

Mercury

communication, intellect, nervous energy, early education

Venus

harmony, affection, love, art, balance, the feminine impulse in both sexes

Mars

energy, drive, action, aggression, the masculine impulse in both sexes

Jupiter

expansion, optimism, extravagance, luck & gambling, religion, philosophy,

higher education

Saturn

restriction, discipline, duty, tradition, structure, inhibition, boundaries

Chiron

spirit wound, compassion, wholeness, alternative, the quest, experiential

Uranus

nonconformity, invention, freedom, the unexpected, technology

Neptune

mysticism, intuition, transcendence, illusion

Pluto

transformation, regeneration, elimination, sexuality, power.

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

THE TWELVE HOUSES

Most people are aware of the twelve signs of the tropical zodiac but there are also twelve
other divisions of the horoscope. The natal chart is divided into twelve sectors called the
houses. There are various systems for dividing the chart up into houses. Most of the
systems use a combination of the time of birth plus the latitude and longitude of the birth
place. The houses each relate to different areas of peoples lives. For example, finance
and things that are valued relate to the Second House, communications relate to the Third
House, marriage or partnerships are described by the Seventh House, travel and higher
education belongs to the Ninth House, career and public acclaim is signified by the Tenth
House, and so on. Figure 3 summarises the significance of each of the houses.

FIGURE 3 SUMMARY OF THE AREAS OF LIFE INDICATED BY THE HOUSES

The Sun, Moon and planets each exert their own influences. They are said to rule
particular areas of life. For example, Saturn produces structure and/or potential
limitation, whereas Jupiter brings expansion and/or possible wastefulness. The area of
life affected by, say Jupiter or Saturn depends upon which house the planet is occupying
in the horoscope and the way in which it produces its effects is indicated by the sign of
the zodiac.

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

The date of birth determines in which signs of the zodiac the Sun, Moon and all the
planets will be placed but it is the time (to the nearest minute) and place (latitude and
longitude) of birth which determines which houses of the horoscope these bodies will
occupy.
The Sun, for example, spends one month in each sign of the zodiac; the Moon spends
approximately two and a half days in each sign of the zodiac whereas Saturn spends about
two and a half years in a sign. This is due to the planets moving around the Sun in
elliptical orbits of different size.
Hence, as seen from the Earth, the planetary bodies appear to move through the zodiac at
different speeds. However, as the Earth spins on its axis, the Sun, Moon and planets pass
through all 12 houses of the horoscope in 24 hours; this means that they only occupy any
one particular sector for about two hours.
Astrological calculations are not covered in this brief introduction. If you wish to find out
how to do these you should consult an astrological textbook or refer to an astrological
chart calculation service.
ASTROLOGICAL ASPECTS
When the map of the heavens (the horoscope) is completed it shows the sign of the zodiac
in which the Sun, Moon and planets are situated and the houses in which the planetary
bodies are located. (See Figure 1). The astrologer also wants to know how the energies
represented by each planet relate to each other. These relationships are called aspects.
They are the angles between the various bodies, measured in degrees and minutes of
longitude. Since the Sun, Moon and the eight known planets are moving through the
zodiac at different speeds, they are constantly forming all sorts of angles (aspects) to one
another as seen from our vantage point on Earth. For example, a square is a 90 degree
aspect between two planetary bodies and a trine is a 120 degree aspect. The aspects
represent the ways in which the energies of the two planetary bodies interact. The
square tends to make the energies more challenging whereas a trine makes the interaction
more harmonious. Table 3 summarises some of the more important aspects. A discussion
of aspects can be found in basic astrological textbooks.
TABLE 3 - ASPECTS
ASPECT

Degrees apart
(approx.)

SIGNIFICANCE

Conjunction

Sextile

60
60

Opportunity, easy flow of energies involved

Square

90
90

Challenge, inner conflict

Trine

120
120

Positive flow of energies working together

Quincunx

150
150

Some strain and incompatibility

Opposition

180
180

Tension, open conflict, awareness

Integration of the two planetary principles involved

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

The sample chart of Elvis Presley (Figure 1) shows examples of these aspects. You might
find it interesting to try putting together some of the aspects on his chart to begin to
develop an understanding of the issues within his personality.
THE ASCENDANT - YOUR RISING SIGN
In order to calculate the ascendant, the actual date, time and place of birth is needed.
The eastern horizon is known as the ascendant and the sign of the zodiac which is on that
horizon at the actual hour and minute of birth is termed the rising or ascending sign. The
ascendant is the start of the First House of the horoscope in most of the House systems
currently in use. The ascendant is one of the more important points in the horoscope
since it indicates how you are likely to be perceived by other people. The ascendant can
be thought of as the mask you wear and the veil through which you look out on the world.
On first meeting, a person tends to project their ascendant sign so that very often the
characteristics initially seen in a person are those of the ascendant sign and not the Sun
sign. This is one reason why it is easy to be wrong when trying to guess someone's Sun
sign. Twelve people born at approximately two hour intervals on any particular day would
share the same Sun Sign (unless the day happens to fall on the cusp of two zodiac signs)
but they would have a different ascending signs. This, together with the movement of all
of the other planets from year to year, is why there can be so many differences in the
personalities and behaviour of people who are born in any one of the twelve signs of the
zodiac.
INTERPRETATION OF THE HOROSCOPE
Astrology is only one of many tools that can be used to understand life and our existence on
Earth. Cycles play a particular role in shaping our lives and astrology is a study of cycles - the
movement of planetary bodies represented symbolically in the horoscope. Since the
possibilities of combinations are almost infinite, each birth chart is a representation of the
unique individual.
It takes years of study and experience in order to become proficient in interpreting the
complete horoscope in terms of character, potential talents, aptitudes, career, strong and
weak points, health, ability to relate to others and so on. Becoming an effective astrologer
involves learning how to decode the ways in which the Sun, Moon, planets, zodiac signs,
Houses and Aspects interrelate. Rather than indicating fate, astrology portrays potentialities.
Talent in a particular area may be evident in the horoscope but the individual might not even
be aware of the potential. Astrology has great value in the development of greater selfawareness and in helping us to understand the spiritual nature of existence.

PREDICTIONS
There are a number of techniques that an astrologer can use to make predictions. The
simplest is called transits. This involves looking at the placement of the slower moving
planets relative to the natal chart. Of course, if you dont have a full chart to refer to, the
predictions can only be based on the position of the natal Sun. Magazine astrologers often
make their predictions by putting the Sun sign on the Ascendant and then look at where the
transiting planet falls in artificial solar houses. For example, if you are a Gemini and
transiting Jupiter (expansion and good fortune) happens to be in Cancer, the next sign after
Gemini, hence the solar second house of finances and personal property, the magazine
prediction might be something like:

AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

Next month will bring opportunities for financial gain. A good time to buy that large item
youve been hanging out for.
However this prediction is really only likely to be accurate if you also happened to have a
Gemini Ascendant. If you know your ascendant sign, you may find it more useful to look at
the magazine predictions for that sign.
If you know your time of birth accurately, the astrologer can make use of more complex
techniques such as progressions and directions but a full description of these is well beyond
the scope of this introduction.

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ASTROLOGY

Astrology is a fascinating subject. As well as being used for personal counselling, it is now
being used to assist in making stock market and other business decisions (Financial Astrology),
to choose the best time for beginning new ventures (Electional Astrology) and also to answer
particular questions (Horary Astrology).
Other current areas of interest include a study of the asteroids (the smaller interplanetary
bodies that travel in our solar system), the fixed stars and a rediscovery of traditional
astrology made possible by modern translations of ancient texts written centuries ago in Latin
and Ancient Greek. There is also growing interest in Vedic (Hindu) astrology. This is based on
the sidereal rather than the tropical zodiac.

QUESTIONS THAT ASTROLOGERS ARE OFTEN ASKED

Q

Why do astronomers say that astrologers have got it wrong when they say that a
planet is in a particular sign?

Astronomers are usually not aware that they are using a different zodiac from
western astrologers. (See the earlier section on The Zodiacs.) The confusion arises
from the fact that the astrological signs of the tropical zodiac are not the same as
the astronomical constellations in the sidereal zodiac, even though they have the
same names. (Refer to the section on The Twelve Sun Signs of the Zodiac.)
Astrologers find that by linking the positions of the planets to the orientation of the
Earth towards the Sun in the tropical zodiac, they get a better indication of the
universal energies affecting existence on Earth.

Why do magazine star columns show different dates for the beginning of each
sign?

The cusp (beginning) of each sign in the tropical zodiac varies slightly from year to
year. If you were born on a date which falls on the cusp, you would have to look up
the position of the Sun at the exact minute of your birth in a book of tables called an
ephemeris.
NB All times in an ephemeris are given in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Allowances
have to be made for births in any other time zone around the world.

I am a Leo but when I read the Star sign column in the newspaper, the
predictions for Libra usually seem to be more accurate for me.

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AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY

Predictions from a natal chart are usually based on planets passing through Houses
(see the section on Predictions). The writer of a Star Sign column has to use solar
houses. These are worked out by putting the Sun sign on the Ascendant, then
dividing the rest of the chart into 12 equal-sized houses. If you find the predictions
for Libra more accurate for you, it may mean that you have a Libra Ascendant or
possibly a large number of natal planets in Libra.

How can I find out what my ascendant is?

By having your natal chart cast accurately. The website of the Association for
Professional Astrologers (APA) Inc carries a list of fully qualified, experienced
astrologers who can be contacted via www.apainc.org.au

What do astrologers think about the significance of Pluto now that it has been
reclassified as a dwarf planet?

The technical classification of the objects in the solar system has no effect on their
astrological significance. A great deal of work has gone into deducing the
significance of the outer planets and the asteroids. Very often the year in which the
object was discovered bears interesting links to a development in the global
awareness of relevant issues.

THE FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN ASTROLOGERS (FAA) INC.

This national organisation was formed in 1971. It represents a group of people dedicated
to astrological principles of education and research. It is a non-profit, non-sectarian and
non-political body. The Federation of Australian Astrologers (FAA) supports a National
Code of Ethics for astrologers. Most states in Australia have affiliated branches of this
organisation. They hold regular meetings, usually on a monthly basis with speakers,
workshops, seminars and events of interest. Non-members are welcome to attend.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This document has been produced by Duane Eaks, Susan Jarrett and Nikki Worth
committee members of the Victorian Astrologers Association. Much of the material first
appeared as the Student Project Guide on Astrology (1991), edited by Duane L Eaks.
Susan Jarrett later compiled it into the booklet: An Introduction to Astrology, published
by the Victorian Astrologers Association in 1998.
Cover photographs courtesy of Duane Eaks. Figure 2 by Tess Cullen.
Web design by Nikki Worth.

It is hoped that by making the material freely available on the internet it will be useful to
anyone seeking a basic introduction to Western Astrology.

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